There was something markedly comforting about Ellen DeGeneres returning to the awards show spotlight following her surprise Tweet on Friday stating, "It's official: I'm hosting the #Oscars."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed the news with a release shortly afterwards from the show's producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who said they were "thrilled" to confirm her selection for the 86th annual show, to be staged March 2.

The swift public verdict that followed was mostly positive.

"It's a great choice," Modern Family's Ty Burrell said during a break from recording the animated Mr. Peabody & Sherman. "There's something you just cannot fake about being relaxed and delivering material in a way that makes people feel like they are in very good hands for an evening. Ellen has that ability, for sure. She's amazing."

The producers clearly wanted to instill such a vibe by choosing the popular talk-show host who had enjoyed an Emmy-nominated ride as Oscar host in 2007.

And it cut short the controversy and turmoil that has surrounded the hosting decision in recent years.

In 2011, Eddie Murphy was an early choice for the job. But he stepped down after Brett Ratner was pressured to resign as the show's producer in the wake of homophobic comments. Veteran Oscar host Billy Crystal was drafted late in the process, a move many deemed stale but necessary due to the time crunch.

In 2012, in their first stint as producers, Zadan and Meron chose wildcard Seth MacFarlane in the hopes he would attract a younger, male demographic. They succeeded in their ratings quest, but still alienated some after Oscar skits that included the Family Guy creator singing a song about best-actress candidates called We Saw Your Boobs.

DeGeneres' selection ensures comedy, without the drama.

"Ellen is a safe choice," says Scott Feinberg, awards analyst for The Hollywood Reporter. "With Seth last year nobody knew what to expect. With Billy Crystal everyone knew exactly what to expect. With Ellen, it's safe to assume you'll have a fun time."

DeGeneres' choice is also another clear signal to the world that the academy wants to move away from being portrayed as a "club of old, white men," says Feinberg. The announcement came only two days after Cheryl Boone Isaacs was elected as the first African-American (and third woman) president of the academy.

"The selection of Ellen reaffirms the academy's move to embrace diversity," says Feinberg. "And what better way could there be to distance itself from Ratner's comments about gays and MacFarlane's comments about women than to hire the most famous and popular lesbian entertainer to host the Oscars?"

The producers say they're not exactly certain what DeGeneres will bring to the show, noting that the selection process moved so quickly. On Twitter, Meron described a "whirlwind 48 hours" in which they asked DeGeneres to host on Wednesday and "on Thursday she called (and) said 'I'm in.' "

The two sides will come together in the coming weeks to decide upon the show's direction.

"I cannot remember signing up an Oscar host this early, literally seven months to the day before the ceremony airs," says Feinberg, "But getting Ellen to commit this early can only improve the quality and viewership of the Oscars telecast."